Town Talk: Village of Cooperstown

Tillapaugh on Village Projects, the Dog Park, Doubleday Field

In this installment of “Town Talk,” Village of Cooperstown Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh answers a few quick questions from General Manager/Senior Editor Darla M. Youngs to update readers on village business.

What progress has been made thus far with the New York Forward projects? I see there is a Request for Proposals for project work with a deadline of September 18 at 2 p.m.

Yes, we drafted an RFP, which was tweaked and approved by the New York State Department of Transportation (https://www.cooperstownny.org/request-for-proposals/). We would like to move forward on village projects: 1. Improve Wayfinding along Upper Main Street; 2. Improve Access and Circulation on Fowler Way; 3. Build Sidewalks on Grove Street; 4. Redesign and Improve Pedestrian Conditions on Hoffman Lane; and, 5. Improve Pedestrian Conditions on Pioneer Alley. At this point, we have submitted all the necessary paperwork to the DOS. They have indicated that the contract will now be reviewed by DOS, the New York State Comptroller and the Attorney General’s Office. We have been told this could take several months. We cannot begin any of the municipal projects until the contract is signed.

The RFP reads as follows: “Project consultant(s) are being sought for these project components, which may be awarded collectively or separately. The work on these projects will be coordinated through the Department of Public Works. Consultants may respond to this RFP for one or more project components. Each project component requires a separate response. Consultants can team with sub-consultants that must be identified and are subject to Village acceptance. The RFP response will indicate why your team best benefits the Village through cost savings, scheduling, extraordinary expertise, and your familiarity with Cooperstown.”

What is going on with the proposed dog park, if anything?

The Parks Board minutes this month noted that the group interested in a dog park would like to coordinate an information meeting. That is the only information I have heard.

From the July 7, 2025 Parks Board minutes:

• Discussion was held on the response received from the Clark Foundation which stated they did not approve changing the easement to allow a dog park, and Jeanne Dewey stated that the letter did not really answer our question.
• Discussion was held on forming a sub-committee of the Parks Board to work on a Proposed Dog Park, with members consisting of Jeanne Dewey, Hanna Bauer, and Joe Membrino.
• Discussion was held on the Town of Otsego being interested in supporting a dog park, the easement and possible locations, a dog park is considered “Green Space” which is mentioned in the easement.
• Ms. Porsche stated that it should be noted in the Parks Survey that the Board of Trustees do support a dog park.

Anything new on the Averill Road project?

No.

Do village officials have any kind of statement or stance on the Manocherian housing proposal/sketch plan?

The proposal involves property in the jurisdiction of the townships of Otsego and Springfield. It is my understanding that they have not submitted an official application. The village does not have a statement presently. Concerns we have would center on septic fields and watershed issues.

Do you get a sense for how village merchants did during Induction Weekend and over the summer in general?

It is my understanding the summer was very successful. The village has seen significant increases in sales tax as distributed by the county. And our paid parking revenue is also up.

How are Fairy Spring Park improvements moving along?

The revised proposal has been submitted to the office of New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and is being reviewed. We hope to hear by the end of the year.

Anything exciting coming down the pike?

We have submitted grant proposals to Achieve (https://regionalcouncils.ny.gov/file/mv-achieve-competition-open-call-project-proposals) for Doubleday Field improvements—new sprinkler system, regrading, etc. We submitted this in our NY Forward program and the Local Planning Committee selected it as a Priority Project, but it was not selected by New York State. We recognize the need to upgrade the actual field to address drainage and other issues.

Recordings of the Village of Cooperstown meetings and copies of meeting minutes can be found on the village website, cooperstownny.org.

Editor’s note: All Otsego County mayors and town supervisors are invited to submit material for the “Town Talk” column. E-mail darlay@allotsego.com for more information.